1. Field of the Invention
The invention is generally related to the area of liquid mixing. In particular, the invention is related to liquid dispensing and blending.
2. The Background of Related Art
Mixing different proportions of liquid ingredients together is a very common manufacturing process. From a simple process of altering liquid concentration to some complex processes of producing chemical compounds, a liquid-blending process is sometimes essential and necessary. A product that requires blending of liquids usually requires a recipe specifying the ratios among the liquid ingredients in the mixture.
To blend several liquids into a mixture with desired ratios among several ingredients, the quantity of each ingredient needs to be measured, either by weight or by volume. One of the most common weighting methods for dispensing a specific volume of liquid is by gravimetric measurement. This involves dispensing the liquid into a container on a scale until a desired weight is reached. When mixing liquids based on their volumes, a common practice is to measure the volume of each liquid using metering pumps, flow meters, or scaled containers. In a normal blending process, each liquid ingredient requires a measurement before being blended into a mixture of a desired recipe. The measurements involve calibrations of the measuring equipment and the reading meters.
In a dynamic manufacturing environment, recipes of blending different liquid ingredients are often required to change to accommodate any process changes that may be required. Accordingly, the ratios among mixing ingredients in a liquid-blending process need to be adjusted from time to time. This kind of adjustment, involving resetting the equipment and re-measuring each ingredient to the desired quantities, is labor intensive and prone to errors in a manufacturing process.
The present invention discloses a technique for making quick and reliable adjustment of the ratios among all ingredients in a liquid-blending process without the need to calibrate the equipment or special attentions from operators.